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>By requiring U.S.-built and registered ships, it guarantees high safety and quality, which is really important for complex operations like wind farms.

It certainly doesn't - there are enough "cowboy" US operators who are working far below the quality and safety standards which are practiced by European contractors. It's really a struggle sometimes to ensure that things are done properly and safely in the US. It's a practically new industry in the US and there is a lot of catching up to do.

> By requiring U.S.-built and registered ships, it guarantees high safety and quality, which is really important for complex operations like wind farms.

As the article says, there are currently no WTIV ships that meet the requirements of the Jones Act. So you can't really say the law guarantees something that doesn't exist.

We suck at building ships. We can't build them quickly or resource-efficiently. They frequently break down (remember Windows NT problems on Destroyers?). Washington State can't even figure out how to buy new ones.

The Jones Act has failed in every way.

> ...it's a crucial pillar for our national security and maritime strength...It's a strategic move for our economy and national defense.

B...b...but I want to monomaniacally focus on short-term market prices, like they're the only thing that matters in the world! Quit cramping my ideological fixation with complicating factors!